Sixteen Under-16 and Under-18 girls’ teams, from SA Rugby’s various Youth Training Centres (YTC) across the country, will celebrate Women’s Month this weekend when they take part in a YTC Festival at Florida Park in Ravensmead, Cape Town.

The teams will play each other in seeding matches on Friday, 10 August, while the playoffs will take place on Saturday, 11 August.

Like last year, the U16 and U18 teams will take on one other in a combined tournament rather than being split into the North and South Sections as they have been since the inception of these events in 2015.

The U16 and U18 players at the various YTC’s train on a weekly basis, while they also have access to conditioning and nutritional programmes, as well as gymnasiums within the SA Rugby network to improve their strength and fitness levels.

They work from a coaching blueprint designed by SA Rugby’s Rugby Department to ensure a uniform approach in the structures and systems at the various centres, and the girls also participate in scheduled matches to expose them to regular competition.

“We have already started seeing the graduates of the YTC’s feeding into the Women’s Interprovincial League, which is part of the pathway into the national team, said Jurie Roux, CEO of SA Rugby.

“We are committed to growing women’s rugby and increasing participation in the sport throughout the country and we have made a significant investment in the last few years to achieve this.

“The opportunity these girls have to play in a proper provincial tournament this weekend will assist them with a high level of competition, but they will also get a sense of what rugby is about in terms of camaraderie, respect, discipline and building friendships.

“The Youth Training Centres have played a key role in equipping young girls with the necessary skills and techniques to groom them into quality players since the inception of the programme a few years ago.”